Carnival celebrations from East Brabant are already queuing up to get hold of a carnival emblem from the police in their region. But everyone still has to be patient. Only during carnival can your uncle address the police officer on the street and then you will get him immediately.
There were already quite a few reactions to the emblem on Instagram, says Erik Bertrums, community police officer of the Groote Wielen in Rosmalen. The agency is called flat and emailed with the question whether the emblem can be sent. But that makes no sense, he warns.
You don’t have to do anything crazy to become the proud owner of such a unique police carnival emblem. “Just talk to a cop with Carnival!” Bertrums cheerfully encourages. “Agents are just approachable, and they know about it. So don’t hesitate,” is his advice.
“The emblem can remove the barrier to approach the police.”
The emblem was devised by the police to bring the officers closer to the citizen. “Asking for the emblem removes the threshold that people may have towards the police,” Bertrums explains. Carnival is the perfect time for this: “It is the celebration of love and conviviality. That is the perfect time to make that connection.”
The emblem is for every citizen. “Begging or sliming down is certainly not necessary,” Bertrums reassures. “If you ask for the decals, you will get them if they still have them.”
A bit of luck is needed for that. “I understand that a few thousand were made,” he says. The police never expected that there would be so much interest in the decals. “But”, says Bertrums, “even if we don’t have them anymore, it’s a good reason to have a nice conversation with each other.”